SunTech Drive Deploys SmartGrid System at California dairy with Stanford University and Google

BOULDER, Colo. – July 2, 2019 – PRLog — SunTech Drive is pleased to announce the deployment of a network that integrates SunTech’s PicoBlender controllers in a first-of-its-kind SmartGrid system at one of California’s largest dairies. This project is funded by the Department of Energy’s ARPA-e NODES(Networks of Distributed Energy Systems) initiative. Working in collaboration with Stanford Universityand Google, the project expands the use of advanced energy solutions to help commercial and industrial facilities optimize electricity use.

“We are very excited for this collaborative work with the Stanford team, as this cloud-coordinated SmartGrid system will be used for several applications,” said Nikola Milivojevic, Chief Technology Officer of SunTech Drive.

Industrial energy customers in California are looking to cut spiraling electricity costs by offsetting energy use through solar self-consumption. For a typical dairy, ventilation makes up more than 20% of their electricity costs. With milk prices dropping 25% over the last 5 years and the continuing rise of electricity costs due to demand and time of use charges, dairies are actively seeking improved operating efficiencies.

SunTech Drive’s innovative solution will produce enough renewable energy to offset grid power for a period of 6 to 10 hours per day, and help utilities improve their grid efficiencies.

The project involves energy storage for reducing electricity consumption from the utility, which allows reduction of demand charges that the dairy usually incurs during summer months. During the day, solar power offsets the fans electricity consumption, while during the evenings, energy storage will be used to complement solar-generated power. SunTech Drive and Stanford expect a 40% – 60% reduction in grid power consumption due to using energy storage and a behind-the-meter solar PV system controlled by PicoBlenders.